Thanks to a tip prompted by a Facebook post, a man who vandalized the historic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was caught and faced the consequences of his misdeeds.
Jamie Lester Underwood, 39, of Winston-Salem, N.C., pleaded guilty in federal court to vandalizing the original bronze door of the lighthouse, built in 1870, and was ordered to pay $1,922 in restitution for repairs and was placed on one-year probation, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore announced Tuesday.
Last year during a visit, Underwood used a pocketknife to carve the letters “SEF” into the door of the lighthouse, which is the tallest brick lighthouse in the U.S. and is a National Historic Landmark, located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks.
On Facebook, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted photos of the vandalism and asked for help in finding the culprit.
“Many residents of Hatteras Island have served as lighthouse keepers in the 1800s and 1900s, taking care of the this iconic structure and helping to protect mariners off the coast,” Superintendent David Hallac stated in the post. “It is important that we treat the lighthouse with respect to honor the structure itself and the legacy of those that served in it.”
Also on FTW Outdoors: Woman who climbed Mt. Rushmore barefoot is fined
As a result of the post, someone came forward with a tip that led National Park Service Rangers to focus on Underwood.
“Earlier this year, a conservator treated the affected area of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse door,” the national park reported. “The original bronze door was in-painted with heavy body acrylic paint until a more permanent fix could be made.
“The conservator will return next month to complete the door treatment.”
Photo of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. Photos of the vandalism and a conservator Curtis Sullivan treating the door are courtesy of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
